Google Debuts Chromebook, the Web-Only Laptop

SAN FRANCISCO — Google announced a new generation of Chrome OS–based laptops at the company’s I/O developer conference here Wednesday.

The new device will be called the Chromebook, and its interface will be based entirely on Google’s Chrome browser. In other words, everything you do with a Chromebook will be on and through the web.

Google has formed partnerships with two manufacturers to build the hardware, Acer and Samsung. Each of the companies will produce one Chrome netbook.

Acer’s model will run on Intel’s dual-core Atom processor, with an 11.6-inch HD display. Google claims a 6-hour battery life, with instant-on capability. It weighs just under 3 pounds, and will come in Wi-Fi or 3G models, starting at $350.

Samsung’s model is similar, though a bit bigger. Its larger 12.1-inch display puts Samsung’s Chromebook at 3¼ pounds, so it’s also somewhat heavier. But the makers promise better battery life, at 8.5 hours. It will run on the same Intel Atom dual-core processor, and have the same USB and SD card slots that the Acer model will have. Samsung’s model will start at $430 for Wi-Fi, and $500 for a 3G version.

Google’s initial foray into this market launched last year with the CR-48 web-only laptop. Google said the pilot program had over 1 million participants. Initial feedback was generally positive, except for scathing reviews of the CR-48’s trackpad.

Google vice president of Chrome Sundar Pichai assured the developer audience that the new Chromebooks will come with “fully reworked trackpads.”

And in a hacker-friendly nod to its developers, Pichai said Chromebooks will come with “full jailbreaking mode built in, so you can play around with the kernel all you want.”

The Chromebook will be available to the public through Amazon.com and BestBuy.com beginning June 15 for U.S. customers. It will also be available in a small number of other countries: Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.